Facing Life's New Discoveries
by Naleyfan416
Summary: Sequel to Facing Life's Little Obstacles! Mallory is now in high school and life has become very different from before. This is her story with bits of Nathan/Haley and Luke/Brooke mixed in!
1. Mallory's Story

Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it's characters!

A/N: So guys I decided to write the sequel! I really hope you guys enjoy this and please review! Let me know if there is any confusion... if you haven't read Facing Life's Little Obstacles, it may help to read it first before starting this story! This story takes place five years later!

* * *

Many of you know the story of my parents and about my late mother, Peyton. This however, is a story of how my favorite people made me into the person I am today. Haley, also known as my mom, still teaches kindergarten while taking care of my dad, me, Jamie (who is now ten by the way), and my little sister Lucy who just turned four a few weeks ago. Dad and Uncle Luke are now the new basketball coaches at Tree Hill High since Coach Whitey retired last year, but occasionally help grandpa out at the dealership when he needs it. Brooke still designs clothes and now has her own store in downtown Tree Hill, but she also takes care of Matt who's now seven and Sophie who's only six months younger than Lucy.

This is where I guess I come in and tell you a little about me. I'm about to start my sophomore year in high school, along with my best friends Chloe and Emily. I've known Chloe Rogers since the second grade when she moved here from Georgia and we've been best friends since. Emily Banks joined our duo two years ago when she moved here from Texas. Most people call us the three amigos because we are practically always together. Chloe works at Brooke's store because she wants to be a designer after high school, while Emily works at the café with my grandma. I help out at the café as well, but I spend a lot of my time on the River Court. It seems that I'm like my dad after all because I absolutely love basketball, but Tree Hill only has a guy's team. I personally think it's totally unfair because I'm better than half the team but whatever. That's all for now!

* * *

"Hey Mom, I'm headed down to the River Court. I'll be back around five," Mallory yelled heading out the door.

Haley smiled at her before finishing cleaning up Lucy's mess. Lucy was currently trying to help her make lunch which wasn't working out so well.

"Mom, could we invite Matt over this afternoon to play?" Jamie asked while watching as Lucy wipes her dirty hands all down her shirt. He then laughed at his little sister for making more of a mess with her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Yeah, both Matt and Sophie can come over. I'll call Brooke when I'm done cleaning this up. Do you mind taking your sister upstairs and helping her wash her hands?" Haley answered with a smile.

Jamie grinned before replying, "Of course Mom. Come on Lucy let's go wash your hands before you make another mess. Besides, Sophie is coming over and you can play dolls." Lucy smiled and skipped upstairs with her brother. Jamie and Matt always played outside, while Sophie and Lucy played dolls, but the four of them loved playing with each other.

Mallory was dribbling the ball when some guys walked up. "Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that girls don't know how to play basketball. Besides, we want to play a real game and would hate for you to break a nail," one of the guys stated.

Mallory smirked before asking, "Well which one of you wants to play me one on one. I bet I could beat any of you!"

"I'll play you," another guy said from behind the group, "after all I'm the best guy on the team. I just hope you can handle it when you lose."

"I know who you are. You're Landon Smith star of the Tree Hill Ravens; biggest player there is who sleeps with pretty much any girl. Did I forget anything?" she replied sarcastically.

Landon laughed, "Depends, are you offering?"

"Argh, you make me sick! Let's get this game over with. I'm so ready to beat your ass!" Mallory stated.

"In your dreams baby," Landon added before taking the ball, "first one to twenty-one wins."

"You're on!" Mallory said before snatching the ball and dribbling it past him. The rest of the guys sat down on the bleachers and watched the game. They knew that Landon would win, but was enjoying the show nonetheless.

The game finally ended after Mallory tricked him and went up for a three pointer to win the game. Landon simply couldn't believe what had just happened. "Smith, you got beat by a girl!" his friend, Trent, yelled. The other guys just laughed before Landon walked away mad.

"Anyone else wanna try to beat me," she asked.

Trent smiled at the nerve of this girl before stating, "It seems Landon has finally met his match. I'm Trent, by the way. Let's go guys and leave this girl alone. See ya around super star."

* * *

Mallory made her way home with a smirk on her face. She walked in her house to find her dad looking over some plays. After all, school would be starting in a couple of days and he needed to get his team ready for the school year. "Hey sweetheart how was your day?" he asked looking up once he heard the door open.

"Oh you know, I just kicked some guy's ass in one on one today," she said nonchalantly.

"Mal, you know what I told you about that kind of language," Haley stated walking in from the kitchen, "dinner is about ready though, so go wash up."

"Sorry mom, I did kick butt out there though. I beat the infamous Landon Smith 21-19!" she replied with a smirk.

Nathan shook his head and laughed, "I bet he loved that! You didn't mention you were my daughter though did you?"

"Dad, why would I do that? He doesn't have to know all my secrets. Besides, I've went to school with him for years and he never noticed me then, so why would it change now. He's just another pig headed jock who thinks he's better than everyone else," she added before going upstairs.

"So who is this Landon Smith? I'm assuming one of your players," Haley guessed.

Nathan smiled, "Yeah, one that reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. One that Mal needs to steer clear from."

"Well this year will be interesting if that's the case," Haley joked.

"That's what I'm afraid of, especially since I know how guys like Landon think!" Nathan said worriedly.

"Mal is a smart girl and we just have to trust her to make smart decisions. Now can you clear off the table and grab the kids. Dinner is ready!" Haley replied.


	2. School and Basketball

A/N: So I felt pretty productive today and decided to write the next chapter! Let me know what you guys think... I love reviews!

* * *

Today marked the first day of school. For Mallory, she would be a sophomore and she couldn't be more excited. She, unlike her father, had always loved school. She jokingly always claimed she got that trait from Haley. Since Nathan coached at the school, he drove her to school, since she wouldn't be able to drive by herself for another year. Once there she hurried off to find Chloe and Emily. They had gotten lockers right next to each other and so she headed in that direction.

Unfortunately, she wasn't watching where she was going and ran into Landon Smith of all people. "Well well what are you in such a hurry for?" he asked.

"None of your business, now if you'll excuse me, I need to get by," she stated.

"By all means, go right ahead. By the way, you're a good basketball player, for a girl at least," he said walking away laughing.

"Argh, I can't stand him," she huffed as she got to her locker.

Emily and Chloe were waiting on her with grins on both of their faces. "It seems you had another run in with Landon. I'm starting to see a pattern. Why don't you just admit he's hot and you are totally in to him?" Chloe asked.

"I'm not into him! He is the biggest jerk I know! How could anyone like him?" she answered.

Chloe laughed before adding, "I'll remind you of that one day. Until then, I guess we need to head to class. See you guys at lunch!" Chloe had Geometry, while Emily and Mallory had English.

* * *

Emily, Chloe, and Mallory all met back up for lunch and sat at one of the tables outside. "So did you hear they're looking for a new tutor in the tutoring center? I thought of you when I heard it," Emily said while taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Yeah Mal, I mean you love that kind of stuff. Plus, you and Em are way too smart for the classes you're taking now," Chloe put in.

Mallory sighed before saying, "Yeah, I was considering it. I just hope I don't have to deal with some stupid jock."

Emily and Chloe looked at each other before busting out laughing. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about your crush, would you?" Chloe joked.

"I don't like him! It's bad enough I'm going to have to see him every day since I'll be waiting on my dad to finish practice. Plus, I can't play and it's not fair, I'm better than he is," she whined.

"Mal, maybe you could ask your dad if you could help out with the team or something. After all, you know a lot about basketball," Emily added.

"Yeah, I guess. The tutoring sessions are during my free period and practices are after school, so it could be an option. I'll ask my dad," Mal replied.

The girls finished their lunch and headed off to class. Mallory continued to ponder on Emily's suggestion though about the team. After all, if she couldn't play, she could at least help out in some way or another. She would just have to wait a couple of more hours to talk to her dad and see what he thought.

* * *

School was over as Mallory made her way to the gym. She didn't realize she was being followed until she heard a voice behind her ask, "Are you lost?"

She spun around to come face to face yet again with Landon. "Unbelievable," she huffed pushing open the double doors in the gym. She headed straight to the coach's office which Nathan and Luke shared.

"Hey Mal what's got you so riled up?" Luke asked as she stormed into his office.

"Landon Smith," she stated simply.

Luke laughed before noticing the scowl on her face. "I'll make him run an extra lap in practice," he suggested which made her smile, "Your dad doesn't want you near the locker room though, so you better head back out to the gym before he sees you."

She went and sat on the bleachers before the team started coming in. Landon, Luke, and Nathan were the last to come in. Landon just smiled at her before focusing on what the coach had to say. "Alright boys, I know we have a lot of time before our first game, but we need to stay in shape. So today I want you to run a few laps and then work on your shots. Make twenty consecutive shots and you can take a break, but if you miss any you start over. Is that understood?" Nathan ordered.

"Yes coach," the team said in unison. Then Nathan sent them to do laps around the gym.

Nathan saw Mallory and walked over to her. "Hey sweetheart how was your day?" he asked.

"Dad, could I shoot or something? I'm bored just sitting here. Also, I wanted to ask if you need me to help with anything concerning the team. Just please let me do something," she replied.

"Mal, I'll let you shoot today, but this can't be a habit. I do like the idea though of you helping the team. We'll talk about it later," he suggested.

Mallory smiled before going to grab a ball. The boys were finishing up their laps and went to grab balls themselves. "So it seems you live and breathe basketball," Trent said beside her with Landon not far behind.

"You could say that, but I would get back to practice if I were you," she hinted before focusing on the goal.

Trent laughed while Landon added, "Who's going to make me, you?"

"Actually, me," Luke said joining the group, "now get back to practice. Mal, make fifty consecutive shots before the guys finish their twenty."

"You got it Uncle Luke," she answered with a smirk, "but don't tell dad because he hates when I show off."

"Coach Scott is your dad," Landon said out loud, "I mean it all makes sense now why you're so good."

"Let's get one thing straight, yes I get a lot of my talent from my dad, but I'm a better player than you'll ever be. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get back to my shots and you should get back to practice," she replied angrily.

Landon simply walked over to the other goal and began practicing. "You really know how to get under his skin you know. I've never seen anyone able to accomplish that, but he's not a bad guy. Maybe you should cut him some slack because you might be surprised what's behind that image that he puts on for people," Trent commented before joining his friend.

"What did I say? He was being a jerk," she complained to Luke.

"Actually, you were being a little mean and that's not like you. What's going on, Mal?" he asked.

"I'm mad because I can't play. It's not fair that the school will only allow guys to play. I'm good and I should have the same opportunity as them. I'm sorry I took it out on Landon though Uncle Luke," she confessed, "I'll apologize after practice."

"That's my girl," he added with a smile, "now finish your shots and then go sit down please. You're intimidating my team."

* * *

Practice ended and the guys were leaving. Mallory was still waiting on her dad when she saw Landon come out. She made her way over to him and said, "Look I'm sorry for what I said. You're a great player."

Landon smirked before replying with, "I know."

"See this is why I wasn't going to apologize to you. I don't get why you have to be so arrogant and cocky all the time. You drive me crazy with how you think you are so much better than everyone. You're not the king of the school you know…" she started.

He leaned over and kissed her on the lips before grinning, "I accept your apology."

"What was that? You can't just kiss me for any reason. I didn't even give you permission to," she huffed.

"You know you could just say thank you, but next time I'll be sure to ask your permission," he joked.

"Argh, I hate you! Stay away from me!" she yelled. Landon just laughed as he walked away. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. How dare he, she thought.

A few minutes later, Nathan walked out and was ready to head home. "So I've been thinking about your offer, I'll let you help out with the team. On one condition though," he started.

"What's that dad?" she wondered.

"You be nice to Landon and tutor him twice a week. He's always struggled in math and he needs help, so he doesn't get behind this year," he stated.

"Fine, but I don't have to like it," she replied.

"That's my girl," he said, "now let's head home. I'm curious to how Jamie's day went."


	3. Truth Hurts

A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! Thanks for the reviews I've been getting... let me know what you think!

* * *

Most kids enjoy the last class of the day, but for Mallory this meant her first tutoring session with Landon. She had to tutor him on Tuesday and Thursday of every week. Since they both had a free period right before practice, Nathan had suggested she tutor him then. She was fortunate to get the first week of school off from tutoring, but today was Tuesday and she was currently waiting on him to get there.

She had been sitting in the library for five minutes before Landon came walking in. "You're late," she stated, "and I don't like it when people waste my time. So for future reference, show up on time or don't come at all."

"Are you always so feisty?" he jokingly asked.

"Can we just get started? My dad said you needed some help in math. I'm assuming you know how to do basic math at least…" she started.

"Could you lighten up? Yes, I know basic math. I struggle sometimes with adding and subtracting fractions though," he confessed.

She was surprised he admitted that he wasn't good at something but simply replied, "Ok, we could start there today."

"Can I ask why you hate you me so much? I mean we've only known each other for a couple of weeks. Is it because of last week?" he wondered.

"Look, I don't hate you. Now can we get back to work though because my dad is expecting me to teach you something," she answered.

Landon smiled before saying, "Teach away then." Mallory wrote some examples down and worked them out for him. Then she wrote down some examples for him to do on his own. Surprisingly, he got eight out of ten right after watching her. He couldn't help but look at her from the corner of his eye. After all, she wasn't bad on the eyes, he thought with a smirk, and she definitely could kiss. Completely oblivious to his glances, she stayed focus on the work, but for once they were getting along.

* * *

Practice had started a few minutes ago and Mallory was helping one of the freshman guys with his free throw. Landon and Trent were doing drills not too far away. "So how was tutoring today with super star?" Trent asked.

"Alright I guess," Landon replied, "it's not so bad."

Trent laughed before stating, "You like her, don't you?"

"Trent, I have no idea what you're talking about. She's just an average looking school nerd who is ok at basketball. Trust me, she is so not my type," he commented.

Unknowingly to them, Mallory overheard the conversation. She couldn't believe that he said that about her, but she was more surprised with how much it hurt. She shrugged it off before heading to the office. She went in, shut the door, and pulled out a notebook. She tried focusing on something else, but his words kept coming back. Without realizing it, tears started coming down her face.

She was looking out the window and trying really hard to stop the tears when the door opened. Luke came walking in and was surprised to see Mallory. "Hey Mal we were wondering where you went…" he started but stopped once she turned around, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said as she wiped the tears away, "is practice over? I just wanna go home."

"Yeah, your dad is just talking to a couple of the guys," he replied.

"Will you tell him I'll be waiting in the car for him?" she asked.

Luke nodded before adding, "Are you sure you're ok?" She nodded before grabbing her stuff and walking out. Luke simply assumed it was a girl thing, so he let it go.

* * *

Once home, Mallory ran upstairs to her room. She lay on her bed and grabbed her journal before writing down her thoughts. After a few minutes, Lucy came skipping into her room and asked, "Mal, will you play with me?"

"Sure Lucy," she replied putting her journal back in the drawer before following Lucy to her room. Lucy loved her big sister and constantly wanted her attention.

The girls were playing dolls when Haley walked into the room. "Lucy, do you mind if I steal Mal for a second? Why don't you go downstairs and ask dad to watch _Finding Nemo_ with you," Haley said.

"Ok mommy," Lucy responded excitedly as she ran out of the room.

Once Lucy left, Haley looked at her oldest daughter and asked, "So you wanna talk about your day? Your dad said it looked like something was wrong after practice was over today. You know you can talk to me about anything. So what had you so upset?"

"Am I pretty?" she asked out loud, "I mean I overheard some guys talking about me today and one of them said I was just average looking."

"Would this boy happen to be Landon, by any chance?" Haley wondered.

Mallory looked confused for a second before nodding yes. "I just don't understand why I care what he thinks. I mean he's just some guy," she stated.

"Mal, we both know he's not just some guy. You like him and his words hurt you. It's ok to admit that. Your dad was worried this might happen, but I'm not going to tell him. The best thing you can do is believe in yourself and not worry what others think about you. Plus, you never know he may also feel the same way about you too. Sometimes guys say things around their friends that they don't mean. Trust me; they do eventually grow out of that stage. Just keep your head up," Haley finished.

"Thanks mom," she replied before adding, "Dad would really kill him though if he knew that Landon kissed me last week."

"Oh really," Haley commented, "So how was your first kiss?"

"Just like I expected," she smirked, "but next time he'll have to earn it."

Haley joked, "Just promise me you won't go past kissing anytime soon. I don't want your dad killing anyone."

Mallory laughed before saying, "I know I'm not Aunt Brooke. I'll at least wait until I'm in love before anything like that happens." Haley just giggled before leading them both downstairs.

* * *

Later that night, Nathan and Haley were laying in bed. "So did you find out what was wrong?" he asked.

"Let's just say your little girl is growing up and boys no longer have cooties," Haley joked.

"Boys," Nathan whined, "it's too soon for that. It's Landon, isn't it? I knew it was a bad idea putting them together for tutoring. If he tries anything..."

"Baby, let it go. We've got to let her make her own decisions now. You, however, are not going to say anything to her or Landon. After all, it may just be a crush, but that's not up to us. If this turns into something, you need to give him a chance. Besides, weren't you saying the other day he reminded you of yourself when you were younger. You turned out alright. So can we go to sleep now?" Haley said before giving him a kiss, "Good night baby!"

"Good night!" Nathan added before turning out the lamp and pulling his wife in his embrace.


	4. Friends?

A/N: So I decided to post one more chapter tonight! I hope you guys like it, please review and let me know!

* * *

Mallory had skipped practice on Wednesday and helped out at the café instead. It was now Thursday and she was eating lunch with her friends. "So how is the tutoring going?" Emily asked, "You haven't said anything about it. Yesterday at the café, I got the sense you weren't telling us something. So spill girl."

"I think I like him," Mallory said quietly, "and so I've been trying to avoid him. That's why I offered to help out at the café yesterday because I didn't wanna see him."

"I knew it!" Chloe yelled.

"Could you keep your voice down? Anyway, I have to see him today at tutoring and I'm a little nervous," she admitted, "Plus, I know he doesn't like me."

"Mal, just be yourself. If he doesn't like you, then he's an idiot," Emily inserted.

"She's right, Mal," Chloe added.

"Thanks guys," she replied, "I just don't know how to act around him now."

"You'll be fine, I promise," Chloe commented, "Besides, you two together would actually be cute." Emily agreed with a nod.

Mallory simply smiled before saying, "Well I'll see you guys tomorrow. Remember girl's night at my house tomorrow night."

"I can't wait," Emily answered, "see ya tomorrow. Remember to just breathe!"

* * *

Mallory had just got to the library when she noticed Landon already there. "Wow, I'm surprised to see you on time," Mallory commented.

"Yeah well, you said to be on time, so here I am. The guys missed you at practice yesterday. Where were you?" he asked.

"I was busy," she stated, "now what would you like to work on today."

"I'll let you pick since you're the tutor," he replied, "by the way, there's a party at my house tomorrow night if you and your friends would like to come."

Mallory was speechless for a second before wondering, "Why are you being nice to me?"

"Look I just figured you would like to come and it's my way of saying thank you for tutoring me," he added.

"Oh ok," she replied, "I'll ask my friends and see what they say. Thanks for the invite though. Why don't we start with multiplying and dividing fractions today and see how you do?"

"Whatever you say. In case I haven't said it already, thank you for taking it easy on me," he commented with a smile. Mallory blushed at the comment and quickly looked down.

"You're welcome," she said quietly before directing him back towards math.

"I like this," he stated a few minutes later, "I mean we're actually getting along. So you see I'm not such a bad guy after all."

"I never said you were a bad guy. I must admit you act differently in tutoring sessions than outside this room," she added.

Landon laughed, "You're pretty different outside this room as well. You're so much different than other girls I know and it intrigues me."

"I'm only different around other people. My family and friends are the only ones who see the real me," she admitted.

"I'm assuming I don't fit in that category," he pressed.

"No, besides you see me as an average school nerd remember," she said not meaning to.

Landon sighed, "So that explains things. Look, I didn't mean…"

"Whatever, I don't care what you think of me because we're not friends. I think this tutoring session is over. Tell my dad I won't be coming to practice," she stated getting up out of her chair.

"Wait," he said grabbing her arm, "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean anything by it. Trent was simply hounding me about you and I said that stuff to get him off my back. Mal, please can we just forget about it?"

"Only my friends and family call me Mal," she said pulling away from him, "and I don't think I can tutor you anymore."

Landon stopped her at the door and stated, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I would really like to be your friend?"

Mallory turned around and could see the sincerity on his face. "Alright, I'm giving you one more chance though, so don't screw it up!" she replied.

"Thank you, you won't regret it!" he added, "So are we friends?"

"I guess," she hesitated, "don't make me regret this. It's time for practice though, so we should head to the gym."

"Alright," he said gathering his stuff, "so does this mean you'll come to the party tomorrow?"

"If my friends want to go, then yeah we'll be there," she answered. Landon smiled at her and walked with her to the gym.

* * *

"Nice to see you back today," Trent commented while shooting some free throws, "it was weird not having you here. Plus, Landon here kept asking where you were."

"Shut up man," Landon said dribbling the ball, "Mal, ignore him."

"I'm glad to see you both missed me," she joked, "I was helping my grandma at the café."

"How about less talking and more practicing ladies," Nathan said from behind them, "Mal, leave the boys alone."

"Coach Scott, why don't you let Mal practice with us today? I mean we all know she's good. Plus, I'm sure she would like it," Landon asked.

Nathan was about to comment when Mallory added, "I promise to keep them motivated the entire time."

"Alright fine, but I expect you to practice the entire time and quit talking," he stated.

Mallory smiled, "Thanks dad, I won't let you down."

After he walked away, Trent said, "Ok since when do you two team up together?"

"Well Mal and I are friends now! Plus, I know how much she loves the game," Landon replied.

"I must say you two amaze me. One day you are nagging on each other then the next you are playing nice. I have to admit I never saw this coming," he said with a laugh.

"Well things change," she simply stated, "Now stop talking!"

The three didn't talk the rest of practice and kept busy the entire time. Finally, Nathan blew the whistle to end practice and the guys headed to the locker room.

* * *

"So how was your day?" Haley asked when they got home.

Mallory smirked, "It seems I made a new friend and dad let me practice with the team today."

"How did that happen?" Haley wondered.

"It seems her new friend, Landon, talked me into it," Nathan huffed.

Haley laughed, "You two are friends now huh?"

"Yeah, by the way, do you guys mind if I go to his party tomorrow night?" she asked.

Haley could tell Nathan was about to say no, so she stepped in and said, "Yes, as long as you follow the rules. No drinking or getting into the car with someone who has."

"Thanks mom," she said giving her a hug, "Dad, I promise no funny business either!"

Nathan groaned, "When did my little girl grow up?"

"If it makes you feel any better, Chloe and Emily are coming too!" she stated.

Haley replied, "Don't worry about your dad. He'll get over the fact that boys will be there. Now would you go get Jamie and Lucy and tell them dinner will ready in about ten minutes. Please make sure Lucy washes her hands too."

"I'll take care of it mom. I love you guys!" she answered.

* * *

A/N: I decided to have them build a friendship before anything else progresses... more to come

Coming: Landon's party


	5. Jealous Stares From Afar

A/N: So here's another chapter! I hope you guys enjoy... I added a new character as you will see that will play a small part in the story! Please review and let me know what you guys think!

* * *

"So Mal, what's going on with you and Landon? Have you made your move yet?" Emily asked sitting on her bed. Emily and Chloe rode home with her after school and they were currently upstairs in her room.

"What do you mean? We're friends. I told you guys that. Besides, that's all he wants to be," Mallory said ignoring the looks from her friends.

Chloe laughed before adding, "If that's your story! Em and I both saw how you two were at practice, but whatever. So tell me about Trent? What's his story?"

Mallory had a feeling this would happen. Chloe had always been boy crazy and Trent was just her type. "Trent's a cool guy, but I don't know much about him or Landon. However, I do know he'll be there tonight, so you can find out yourself," she stated.

"I'm so on it! I mean after all, how could he resist me," Chloe joked. Emily and Mallory joined in on the laughter.

"Guys, we should be getting ready. Mal, what are you wearing tonight?" Emily wondered.

Just then a knock came from the door. "Did I hear someone was having a wardrobe dilemma?" the voice said coming into the room.

"Hey Brookie! It seems our girl Mal needs some help for her big date tonight," Chloe hinted.

"It's not a date! We're just friends and besides you guys will be there too," Mallory huffed.

Brooke laughed before saying, "No matter what the case may be, you will look hot and he will drool! Now girls let's get started."

* * *

The girls made their way downstairs into the kitchen where Haley was making dinner. She turned around and smiled at how beautiful Mallory looked. She was wearing dark jeans with an emerald halter top that she knew came from Brooke's store. "You know your father isn't going to like your outfit," she started, "but you look beautiful."

"I know right," Brooke added, "but just let me tend to Nathan." She smiled her mischievous smile before yelling, "Boys, the girls are about to leave!"

Nathan and Luke came into the kitchen followed by the kids. They were all having dinner together as they normally did on the weekends. "My daughter is not wearing that," Nathan stated.

Brooke laughed, "Won't the boys just love her!"

"Brooke, must you antagonize him," Haley groaned before turning to Nathan and saying, "Honey, quit being the overprotective father and admit she looks beautiful."

"Plus, Dad I promise that if any guy tries anything and I mean anything, I will make sure he never makes the same mistake twice," Mallory added with a smirk.

Luke laughed, as well as, the girls and Nathan finally said, "Alright fine you may go, but just remember the rules. Also, you girls behave yourselves and have a good time. Oh, and Mal you do look beautiful!"

"Thanks Dad," Mallory replied giving him a kiss on the cheek, "See you guys later." The girls left without another word and headed to the party.

"You know I think I did a pretty damn good job with that outfit. Besides, Nate you always loved it when I dressed Hales up like that. I believe you mentioned she was hot a time or do," Brooke stated.

Nathan groaned, "Hales is my wife and she looks hot all the time. However, Mal is still my little girl."

"Baby, you know Brooke just likes to rile you up," Haley responded.

Brooke simply laughed before asking, "So how much longer is dinner?"

"Why are we friends with her again?" Nathan joked.

"Because I'm your sister-in-law and you love me! Besides, if it wasn't for my help, you wouldn't be married to my best friend!" Brooke added.

"Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes. Nate and Luke, will you gather the kids and Brooke, set the table," Haley ordered with a smile.

"Why do I always have to set the table?" Brooke whined.

"Aw Brookie, because we all know you can't cook," Haley joked.

"Baby, I'm sorry but you know it's true," Luke added, "but you are definitely great at a lot of other things!"

"Bro, way too much information," Nathan groaned. Everyone else just laughed.

* * *

The girls arrived at the address Landon had given Mallory earlier that day. She couldn't believe the huge house that was standing before them. "Wow, I must say Landon has it made," Chloe stated as they walked up to the front door.

After knocking, Trent answered the door. "Well it's nice of you to join us tonight, ladies! Mal, why don't you introduce me to your friends? I'm Trent, by the way," he greeted.

"Trent, this is Chloe and Emily," she replied, "So where's the host?"

"Nice to meet you two," he said, "why don't I go get you ladies a drink?"

"I'll have a Shirley Temple and be sure to add extra cherries. Actually, why don't I just go with you," Chloe added with a smile.

"It would be my pleasure," Trent commented, "You girls have fun."

"Well that didn't take long. I wouldn't be surprised if they're making out within the next couple of seconds," Emily joked until she noticed her friend was focused on something else entirely. Emily followed her gaze to find two girls dancing on Landon in the middle of the room. "Mal…" she started.

"You know I think I'm going to grab a drink. I'll be right back," Mallory said darting towards the next room.

Emily sighed before quietly saying, "Please God don't let Mallory do anything stupid!" She then went in search of Chloe because Mallory was going to need them both. If only she knew which way Chloe went.

* * *

"So I don't believe I've seen you here before," a guy said from behind Mallory. She was currently drinking a beer, even though she had promised not to. She couldn't get the image of the blonde kissing Landon though. She knew Emily had seen him too, but she didn't want her pity right now.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked as she chugged the rest of the beer. She hated the taste but ignored it.

"Sure," he replied, "I'm Jeff, by the way. And you are?"

"Not important, so just dance with me," she stated.

Jeff took the hint and followed her to the center of the room. She quickly started grinding on him and he let her. However, he soon felt someone staring him down and as he turned he saw his brother looking straight at him. He always loved aggravating his brother when they were younger, but he also knew when to not push his buttons. He could clearly see by the look on his face that this girl was off limits. "I believe we have an audience," he whispered in her ear.

She turned to find Landon staring at them from a far. "Oh, we're just friends, plus he would rather be with those sluts over there anyway. I'm not his type!" she replied.

Jeff asked again, "What's your name?"

"Mallory, now I need another drink!" she answered while walking away.

* * *

A/N: FYI, Jeff and Mallory will not be getting together, but will serve a purpose for the story! More of the party in the next chapter...

Coming: Mallory learns more about Landon


	6. Why So Blue, Bro?

A/N: So here's another chapter! This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I needed a good stopping point! Hope you guys enjoy it, please review!

* * *

"Mal, I think you've had enough. Your parents are going to kill you if they find out you've been drinking. Come go with us to the bathroom," Emily begged. She had finally found Chloe making out with Trent in the back yard. She briefly explained the situation and they went in search of Mallory. They found her in the kitchen where they were currently trying to get her to stop drinking.

"I'm fine girls," Mallory slurred.

"What's going on?" Landon asked coming into the room along with Trent. Trent had a feeling this situation was not about to end well.

"Mal, why don't you come with me and lay down. Emily will you grab a cold washcloth and meet us upstairs, the first door on the right. Landon, I think maybe you should go back to the party. I'm not sure right now is a good time to be in here," Trent stated.

"Yeah Landon go back to your stupid party with your stupid girls," Mallory slurred again.

Landon groaned, "At least let me help you get her upstairs, Trent. Then I'll leave her alone if that's what she wants."

Emily went off and got the washcloth, while Chloe, Trent, and Landon brought her upstairs to Landon's room and helped her lay down on the bed. "My head hurts," Mallory moaned.

"Mal, please just stay still and Em will be here in a few seconds. Trent, do you mind watching her for a second while I have a word with Landon outside?" Chloe asked. Trent nodded and Landon followed her out of the room. "Look, I get that you don't understand what's going on, but you did a really stupid thing tonight. You don't invite someone to a party and then not even come talk to them. Also, you better hope that her dad doesn't find out that she had any alcohol here because he will kill you," Chloe added.

"Why is she so mad at me? I'm sorry for whatever I did," he replied.

Chloe bitterly laughed before saying, "You really are as dumb as I thought." She left him standing in the hallway confused.

"Landon," Emily said walking up the stairs in his direction, "just give her some time. I know Chloe can be a little harsh sometimes, but it's because she's very protective over her. You see, Mallory takes her friendships very seriously and so I'm simply asking you not to take that for granted. She'll be at the River Court tomorrow though, so you can apologize then, but for now please just leave her alone."

"Alright," he responded, "hope she's ok." He walked away with his head down. Emily couldn't help but feel bad for him. She could clearly tell that he cared for her, and she was determined to see her friend happy.

* * *

"I must say that was some party, bro," Jeff said walking into Landon's room, "You wanna talk about what's bothering you." The party had ended a few hours ago and everyone had left. Landon was currently sitting in his room thinking about the events that just happened a couple of hours ago.

"What were you doing dancing with Mallory?" Landon replied looking up at his brother.

Jeff laughed before saying, "Trust me, she's not into me. Although I have to say you were pretty stupid tonight. For someone who talks about this girl a lot, you didn't seem to act on anything, at least with her. Landon, when will you learn not to get yourself in these situations? She saw you with the other girls and by her reaction it appeared to me she was hurt by it."

"I'm not good enough for her ok. She's too good for me and deserves someone who will treat her right. I thought by being friends with her that would help get over my feelings, but they only made it worse. Now I've hurt her yet again and I don't know what to do," Landon confessed.

"This is because of our visit with dad yesterday isn't it? You're nothing like him! He is a worthless drunk who will continue going from rehab to rehab for the rest of his life. I have to say though, Mom would have loved Mallory. She seems to be an amazing girl and I believe this is the first girl that you've actually cared about and not some floozy," Jeff commented.

Landon was quiet for a few minutes before quietly saying, "Tomorrow would have been her birthday."

"I was going to bring her some daisies in the morning. You're welcome to come with me if you want," Jeff added.

"I can't," he whispered.

"I figured. One of these days you're going to stop thinking that you caused it. She was unhappy due to dad, not you…" Jeff started.

Landon tiredly said, "Yeah well, I'm tired. See you tomorrow." Jeff nodded before walking out. If only he could get through to him, he thought exiting the room. He then thought of the one person who could help, only it might take a lot of convincing after last night.

* * *

"So is one of you going to tell me why I have a killer headache this morning?" Mallory asked looking over at her two friends. After getting her sobered up a bit, Trent helped them home. Luckily, her parents were already in bed, so the girls had helped her upstairs after thanking Trent for all his help.

Chloe rolled over and replied, "You let the jealousy get the best of you. Now do you mind going back to sleep because it is way too early to wake up yet."

Emily laughed before adding, "Mal, you know how Chloe needs her beauty sleep. Why don't we meet you at the café later? I must admit I'm still pretty tired too."

"Ok, I'll meet you guys later then because I need to get out of this house before my parents see me. My dad would ask too many questions that I don't feel like answering right now. Besides, I know just what will wake me up," she responded crawling out of bed, "I'll see you guys at the café. If my parents ask, I'm at the River Court."

"Alright, even though they probably won't ask since they already know the answer," Emily joked, "See ya later." Emily rolled back over and went back to sleep.

Mallory got up and grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt before heading to the bathroom to change. After changing her clothes, she quickly splashed some cold water on her face and headed out the door. Everyone was still asleep since it was Saturday, so she didn't have to worry about being seen just yet. She needed some fresh air before she faced her parents. Haley will be very disappointed when she finds out that I drank last night, she thought as she headed towards the River Court.


	7. Actions have Consequences

A/N: Here's another chapter that I hope you guys enjoy! Please keep the reviews coming...

* * *

Mallory was zoned in on the ball and making all her shots that she didn't hear someone coming up. She had been here for about two hours now and just now started crying. "I figured you were here," her dad said behind her, "especially when I saw your friends still sleeping. What's on your mind Mal? I may not always know what's going on, but I know you come here when you have a lot on your mind."

"I'm sorry dad," she confessed, "I did something very bad last night. I don't understand what's got into me. I'm just a disappointment to everyone, you, Haley, and Landon."

"You're not a disappointment, but I must say next time you wanna do something stupid, don't. We heard you guys come in last night and I must say Haley was a little hurt that you broke the rules. So you wanna tell me what made you drink or am I going to have to ask your friends?" Nathan asked.

Mallory stood confused for a second before replying, "I'm not going to ask how you found out. It was really stupid of me and they tried to talk me out of it. I was just so hurt that I started drinking one beer and before I knew it, I lost count. As to why I was hurt, could you just accept that as my reason? What is my punishment?"

"We talked about it and you're going to be grounded for a week, since you were honest about it. No basketball and you'll be working at the café all week after school. Mal, you are so much like me that it scares me sometimes. After your mom died, I tried using alcohol to fix my problems, but it didn't work. If anything, it makes things worse. Whatever is going on, alcohol won't make it better. With that said, next time Landon upsets you, tell me and I'll make him do suicides in practice," Nathan said with a smirk, "Now let's go get some breakfast at the cafe. Haley and the rest of the gang should be there by now."

"So how upset is she?" Mallory wondered walking towards the café with her dad.

"She's a little upset, but more hurt than anything. You should probably talk to her about what he did to upset you last night," he answered as they got to the café.

* * *

"I'm really sorry," Mallory told Haley once they got back home. Breakfast had been like normal, but Haley had been rather quiet, especially towards Mallory. Afterwards, they dropped Emily and Chloe off at their houses.

"Mal, what happened to make you want to drink? I mean you're only fifteen," Haley asked as they sat down on a couch.

"There isn't a good excuse as to why I did it, but I was just hurt when I saw Landon dancing with a bunch of girls. Every time I think I'm ok with just being friends something like this happens and it hurts to know that I'm not that girl next to him. I'm sorry that my lack of judgment hurt you though because I know how much you despise drinking. I accept my punishment and will even do more chores around the house if you want," she said sincerely.

"Mal, sometimes boys do stupid things without thinking. Ask your dad and I'm sure he would agree because he's been there. You can't let that interfere with your judgment though, no matter how much it hurts. As for Landon, I think you should talk to him. Emily told me that he was pretty upset last night when you left and she could see that he cares about you. I appreciate you telling us the truth though about last night. As far as your punishment, I believe taking basketball away for a week is harsh enough and Karen always loves seeing her favorite granddaughter," Haley added.

"Thanks mom," Mallory replied giving her a hug, "I promise no drinking for a very, very long time!"

Haley simply laughed before saying, "Now how about we take Lucy to the park because she's been begging to go and I know she would love it for you to come too."

"Alright, I'll go get her ready, while you pack her some snacks," Mallory stated before running up the stairs.

Haley was packing Lucy a few of her favorite snacks when Nathan walked in the kitchen. "So do I need to go find Landon and tell him to stay away from my daughter," he joked.

"As much as you would enjoy that, I'm not so sure Mal would like it. Plus, I think we need to give him a chance. After all, you were like him once and look how you turned out," Haley responded.

"And how is that my beautiful wife," Nathan wondered.

"Sexy, smart, caring, and unfortunately on his own for the next hour or so with Jamie because the girls are going to the park," Haley said with a laugh.

"Hales, you can't just tease me like that then leave," Nathan whined.

"I promise to make it up to you later," Haley replied, "How's that?"

Nathan walked over to her and gave her a passionate kiss. Lucy's giggles pulled Nathan and Haley apart as her and Mallory walked in the room.

"You know dad, I really don't care to see you doing that. I believe there's a time and place for that and it's not now!" Mallory joked.

"Whatever, as long as I don't have to see you kissing any boys either," Nathan added.

Mallory laughed before saying, "Dad, trust me you won't!"

* * *

Haley and Mallory were sitting on a bench at the park watching Lucy play. They had been talking about everything that has been going on lately. They had been at the park for about an hour when Mallory noticed a familiar guy walking out of the cemetery up the road. "Hey, I'll be right back," she said hurrying over to the guy. "Jeff?" she asked getting the guys attention.

Jeff stopped and turned towards the voice. He smiled when he realized who it was and replied, "Yea, hey Mallory."

"What are you doing here? I mean I don't mean to be nosy I just didn't realize you lived in Tree Hill," she began.

"I was visiting my mom. Look, I think we need to talk. Is there somewhere we can go?" he wondered.

"Actually, I'm grounded after last night. I could go ask my mom though if we could go to the café," she suggested. He nodded and she ran off towards Haley. Haley agreed to meet her there in a few minutes, but she could go ahead with her friend. Mallory didn't mention how she knew him just that they were friends and that he needed to talk to someone.

Mallory met back up with him and headed to the café. Once at the café, she located a booth towards the back and set down. Before she could say anything, he said, "Mallory, I need your help with something very important. Before you freak out, I should probably tell you my whole name which is Jeff Smith. I'm Landon's brother."

* * *

A/N: Sorry to leave you guys hanging... Next chapter will reveal what Jeff needs Mallory for!


	8. Landon's Story

A/N: Here's another chapter... Please review!_

* * *

___

Before she could say anything, he said, "Mallory, I need your help with something very important. Before you freak out, I should probably tell you my whole name which is Jeff Smith. I'm Landon's brother."

Mallory sat there for a second confused before asking, "Why didn't you tell me that last night? I've never heard him mention he had a brother, but it seems there's a lot I don't know about him. I guess he doesn't really consider me as his friend after all. Anyway, what do you need my help with?"

"Mallory, I think I should start at the beginning. We were raised with two loving parents until about a few years ago. Our father started drinking and staying out late at night when I was ten and Landon was only seven. After that, we hardly ever saw him because he was always busy with work or out drinking. By the time I was thirteen, my dad was forced into rehab after a DUI. Our mother was a very sweet lady who did the best she could with raising us on her own. She loved our father, but after he got out of rehab the first time, he continued drinking and began cheating on her as well. Our mother became severely depressed due to my dad's transgressions," he started.

"I had no idea because he doesn't ever talk about anything personal," she responded.

"I know. This is pretty much when Landon starting acting up and getting into trouble at school just to try and get my mom's attention. He had always been her favorite. Nothing helped though, so I helped keep him out of trouble the best I could. You see at this time I was only fourteen which meant Landon was eleven," he continued, "things only got worse from there. My dad went in and out of rehab. This continued on for two more years until one day when we were at school, our mom took a bunch of pills and overdosed. Landon found her when he got home early after getting in trouble at school. Since then, he blames himself for what happened to her."

She sighed, "But this wasn't his fault. I mean your mom was sick with depression and your dad wasn't there for you guys."

"He thinks she did it because he continuously got in trouble at school and simply couldn't handle it anymore. I've tried talking to him about it, but he won't talk to me. He never opens up about it. I'm really worried about him because I'm usually only home on the weekends due to school. Today was her birthday which is why you caught me leaving the cemetery. I was wondering if maybe you could talk to him. You're about the only one he cares to listen to whether you want to believe that or not," Jeff finished.

"Alright fine, I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises. If you haven't noticed, he's not my favorite person at the moment," she added.

Jeff smiled, "Just give him another chance. I really believe you can make a difference. I should be going though." She smiled at him and watched him leave. A few minutes later Haley came in and they headed home. She couldn't get everything that Jeff told her out of her head though and knew what she had to do.

* * *

Monday morning went by really slow. All weekend Mallory had been wondering what she should say to Landon and how to approach him. She saw him at lunch with his friends from the team but decided it wasn't a good time to approach him. Instead, she simply finished all of her classes and headed to the café. Due to being grounded all week, she wouldn't be able to go to practice.

She walked in the café to see Emily already behind the counter waiting on a customer. She walked to the back to tell her grandma she was here before starting to clean off the counters and refill napkin dispensers. She and Emily would be closing tonight because grandma had a dinner to go to with grandpa. Besides, the café was rarely busy on Monday nights.

All afternoon the crowd stayed at a minimum many being regulars wanting a cup of coffee to go or something small. Unfortunately, after Karen had left a huge group came in. Emily was in charge of waiting on the customers behind the counter with to go orders, while Mallory served those seated.

She had just finished waiting on a couple when the doorbell chimed. She looked up to see Landon and Trent making their way to a table. She walked over to where they were seated before asking, "What can I get you?"

"Well look who it is Landon, I guess this explains why you weren't in practice today," Trent commented.

"I'm grounded from basketball all week because I got drunk at someone's party this weekend," she said looking at Landon before facing Trent, "By the way, thanks for helping my friends get me home. Now, what would you like to drink?"

"We'll both have a coke with a cheeseburger and fries. Tell Chloe that I had a really great time the other night," Trent stated with a smirk. Mallory laughed before walking off.

"I could have ordered myself," Landon said for the first time since they arrived.

Trent looked over at his friend before adding, "Maybe you should tell her that you're sorry about the party instead. Jeff told me everything and you need to give yourself some slack."

"I see you guys are tag teaming me like always. I'll talk to her tomorrow alone," Landon replied.

Mallory came back a few minutes later and gave them their food. "Enjoy! You can pay Emily on your way out," she said walking away from their table. So much for trying to talk to him tonight, she thought as she headed to the back. She headed straight for the roof and sat on a bench.

* * *

Mallory was really nervous about going to tutoring today. By the time she came back downstairs, Trent and Landon had already left and Emily was locking up. She walked into the tutoring center and saw Landon sitting in their normal spot. "I do believe this is a first," Mallory stated before sitting down.

"Yeah, I figured the earlier we start then the quicker I could get out of your sight. I'm sorry for the other night though if it makes any difference. There was just a lot of stuff going on," he started.

"Look, I'm not sure a tutoring session is going to work today. I thought I would be ok with this, but I'm not. You really hurt me the other night for reasons you may not know or even care about and I'm not sure this arrangement is going to work out. I'll find you a new tutor," she said gathering her stuff.

Landon hurried over to her and spun her around. He pulled her in for a kiss before saying, "I like you ok! I don't know how to act around you. Since our first kiss, I can't stop thinking about you and it drives me crazy because you deserve better than someone like me."

Mallory pulled back and whispered, "You like me?"

Landon smiled, "Yeah, I do. How could I not? The fact that you can play basketball is really hot to me. I also like how cute you get when you get all riled up. I'm sorry for being a jerk and hurting you at my party the other night. I swear I didn't mean to. I had a lot of stuff going on that I don't wanna talk about right now."

"Shut up," she stated before pulling him in for another kiss, "By the way, I may like you a little too."

"So are we good now? Can I get my tutor back?" he wondered.

Mallory laughed, "Yes, you still have your tutor, but is that all I'll be?"

"Depends, would you actually date a cocky and arrogant jock, as you so eloquently put it the other day?" he asked.

"Only if he admits I'm better at basketball," she joked, "and tells Trent that I'm the sexiest girl he's ever seen."

"I'll tell Trent the truth, but the basketball thing is a stretch," he commented, "Could we also not tell your dad yet?"

Mallory questioned, "Are you scared of him?"

"Maybe a little," he confessed, "but I'll deny it outside of this room."

"Either way, it's time for practice. You better head to the gym before my dad starts asking questions, especially if you don't want my dad finding out you have the hots for his daughter," she stated.

"True," he said before giving her a quick kiss, "could our tutoring sessions contain more of this from now on? After all, I love kissing you."

"You're such a girl," she joked, "now go!" The heart to heart conversation can wait, she thought, today she was just going to enjoy the kiss still lingering on her lips. She walked out of the tutoring center with a big smile on her face.

* * *

A/N: I decided to put them together at the end... Mallory wasn't really thinking about everything clearly though, so there will be more to them getting together than just him simply kissing her and not talking about everything first. After all, she is only fifteen! Either way, I hope you guys like this for now!


	9. Wanna Meet the Fam?

A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! Thanks for all my fans out there who enjoy reading my stories! I'm sorry it has taken me awhile to write, but I hope you guys like this chapter. I want to send a special thanks to naley12 for encouraging me to continue writing! Please review and let me know what you guys think!

* * *

Friday had been a slow day at the café. Mallory and Emily had been finding things to do just to occupy their time. Emily was in the back room organizing some shelves, while Mallory was filling napkin dispensers. The bell above the door signaled a customer, so Mallory walked over to the counter only to find her favorite aunt.

"Brookie, what can I get you?" Mallory asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of having a cookout at the house tomorrow and wanted to see if you could tell your family," Brooke answered with a pause.

Mallory smiled before saying, "I know you already talked to mom yesterday, so what is it you really wanted to tell me?"

"Ok fine, your mom told me about how you were working at the café all week and I wanted to come see one of my favorite nieces. Plus, Chloe kinda let it slip that you and Landon were dating now. Does Nate know yet? Either way, you should invite him over too," Brooke finished.

Mallory groaned, "I told Chloe to keep her mouth shut, but I should have known that wasn't going to happen. Dad doesn't know yet because I've been waiting for the right time to tell him. I'll ask and see if he would like to come, but Uncle Luke will probably grill him with questions along with my dad."

"Let me handle Luke and Hales will keep your dad under control. So that leaves you with no more excuses. Besides, I would like to meet this guy who has my niece smiling nonstop nowadays," Brooke added.

"Alright, I'll ask him. I'm assuming you already told Chloe and Emily about the cookout too," Mallory responded.

"Chloe knows, but I was also coming to tell Emily about it as well," Brooke said, "but I gotta get back to the store. See ya tomorrow Mal!"

* * *

Mallory got home from the café to find her parents sitting in the living room watching TV. Lucy was playing with some of her toys on the floor, while Jamie was looking at a book. "Hey Mal, how was work today?" Haley asked when she spotted her walking in.

"Slower than normal, but it wasn't so bad. Brookie came by and reminded me about the cookout tomorrow. Speaking of, I was kinda wondering if I could invite someone else to come with us," she said hesitantly.

"Does this someone have a name?" Haley joked.

"Landon," she replied while looking over at her dad.

Nathan finally looked up and replied, "So I'm assuming you're dating him now. I guess that kinda explains why he's been listening so well at practice these past couple of days. Considering I know Hales probably already knew all of this, he can come on one condition. I better not catch the two of you doing anything."

Haley smiled over at her husband before adding, "What your dad is trying to say is that we would love to have him. Also, since you've been doing well at the café, you are officially ungrounded."

"Thanks so much!" Mallory grinned, "I need to go call Landon. I'll be down in a few minutes for dinner. Thanks again!" She ran upstairs into her room.

"So were you going to tell me they were dating?" Nathan asked his wife a few minutes later, "I'm not sure I'm ready for this. My little girl is growing up too fast."

"Brooke told me after Chloe spilled the beans. Besides, we agreed we would give this boy a chance, and that's what we're going to do. So lay off him tomorrow," Haley replied.

"Anything you say baby," Nathan smiled at her before giving her a kiss.

* * *

Mallory called Landon's house and Jeff answered the phone. "Hey Jeff, is Landon home?"

"He actually just headed to the river court. I'm assuming you guys are on good terms because he's been happy the last few days. Did you get to talk to him?" he wondered.

"Not yet, but we're dating now. I was going to try to talk to him this weekend," she stated.

"Well I'm just glad to see him happy again, so thank you," he replied, "I'll talk to ya later though." She said bye before hanging up and heading downstairs.

After eating dinner, she begged her dad to let her go to the river court for an hour and she would come straight home after that. He agreed knowing she'd been dying to play basketball for the past week. She quickly changed into shorts and a t-shirt and headed to the river court.

* * *

Landon was zoned in on the het and didn't hear her come up. "Hey there hottie, wanna play some one on one?" Mallory asked.

Landon turned around with a smile on his face before saying, "Depends, who wants to play?"

"Oh, you know just the only girl who can kick your butt," she replied before running over to him and kissing him.

"I've missed you today. I hardly got to see you at lunch and practice is always bad without you. What's up?" he wondered, "You seem like you have something on your mind."

"Well how about we play a quick game and then I'll tell you. After all, I haven't got to play in a week and it's killing me!" she said grabbing the ball.

They played a quick game with Landon winning by a point. "It appears I can beat you after all," he joked.

"I let you win because of what I'm about to ask," she responded.

Landon said, "Ok, what is it? You act like I'm not going to like what you're about to say or something. It can't be that bad."

"My family wants to invite you to a cookout tomorrow. I would really like for you to come. I should also add that they know we're dating now and my dad is ok with it," she paused.

Landon was quiet for a few minutes before replying, "Alright, I'll go, but please don't leave me alone with your dad."

She laughed before giving him another kiss. "I promise. Thank you for doing this," she added.

"Anything for my girl," he grinned. She kissed him one more time before saying bye and heading back home. They agreed to meet at her house tomorrow around eleven. All the way home, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Tomorrow was going to be a good day!


	10. Scott Family Barbeque

A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoy it because I tried to add some of everyone in it... Please review and tell me what you think!

* * *

Landon arrived at the Scott residence around eleven and knocked. Haley answered the door and said, "Hello you must be Landon. Mal is upstairs helping Lucy, but Nathan is in the living room if you would like to go wait. I'll go tell her you're here."

Landon walked into the living room and saw Nathan and a little boy watching a game on TV. "Hey Coach Scott, your wife told me to come in here and wait," he stated nervously.

"You must be Mal's boyfriend," Jamie remarked after Landon came into view, "I'm Jamie."

"I'm Landon. Nice to meet you," he replied before looking at Nathan.

Nathan laughed at the sight of how nervous the boy was. "Yeah, I heard you were dating my daughter. I don't think I need to give you the 'if you hurt her' speech, but just know if I hear of anything, you will be running a lot of suicides," Nathan added.

"Yes sir, but you have my word that I'll treat her with the utmost respect. She means a lot to me and I would never intentionally hurt her," he answered sincerely.

Nathan smiled before commenting, "Good to know. Now sit down because those girls may be awhile." The three of them finished watching the game and the girls came down a few minutes later.

"Hey Landon, I hope my dad wasn't hounding you too badly," Mallory said coming into the room followed by Haley and Lucy.

"I was on my best behavior thank you very much. Are you ladies ready to go?" Nathan wondered.

"Yeah, let me just grab my purse. I figured we would all ride together. Is that ok with you two?" Haley asked looking over at Mallory.

Mallory smiled before replying, "Sure Mom, now let's go."

* * *

They arrived and everyone headed to Luke's backyard. Luke was grilling, while Matt and Sophie were playing in the yard. Knowing Brooke was inside; Haley let the kids go play and headed inside to help her. Nathan went over to chat with Luke, while Lucy and Jamie went to go play with their cousins. Landon and Mallory were watching them play when Chloe and Emily showed up.

"So Mal, has Brookie met Landon yet?" Chloe asked with a smirk.

"No, we just got here a few minutes ago. I was going to introduce him when she was done in the kitchen. Besides, you know how she and mom like to chat by themselves in the kitchen." Mallory replied.

Landon was confused about her urgency for him to meet Brooke, so Emily added, "Ignore Chloe. Brooke is Luke's wife and she's been waiting to meet you. No worries though."

"So Landon, how's Trent doing?" Chloe wondered.

Landon shrugged before adding, "Who knows. I don't keep up with everything he does. Besides, if you're that curious, ask him yourself."

Chloe huffed before walking away. "I swear you two always love getting on each other's nerves, don't you? Could you try getting along today?" Mallory joked.

"Anything for you," he whispered.

"Get a room," Brooke yelled coming out of the kitchen.

Landon looked mortified and took a step back from Mallory. "Landon, meet my Aunt Brooke. Brookie, this is Landon," Mallory gestured to one another.

"Well Mal, when you said he was hot, I didn't know you meant this hot. Damn girl, high five!" Brooke stated.

Everyone burst out laughing, except for Landon and Nathan. Landon was shocked by the statement, while Nathan groaned, "Could you not go there Brooke?"

"Sorry Nate, I forgot you were here for a second. Either way, nice to meet you Landon," she finished.

"Excuse my wife; she tends to speak her mind. Nice of you to join us Landon," Luke stated, "Now let's eat!"

* * *

Lunch was going well with constant conversation all around. The kids were all excited because they were finally able to eat. Chloe and Brooke were pestering Landon the whole time with questions. Landon didn't give much information out, which Mallory noticed. She had decided that she would talk to him at the River Court after lunch.

Emily and Chloe had to leave lunch early, which left the Scotts and Landon. They had all finished eating and decided to play a game of basketball with everyone. Brooke and Haley sat out with Sophie and Lucy, which left Nathan, Mallory, and Jamie versus Luke, Landon, and Matt. Of course Team Nathan won and rubbed it in his brother's face.

The group was currently relaxing out on the patio. "Hey mom, do you mind if Landon and I head to the River Court?" Mallory asked.

"Go on, but don't be out too late. We'll probably be over here for awhile, so go have fun," Haley replied.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," Brooke joked.

"That's not saying much," Nathan coughed.

Brooke smirked, "You're just jealous."

Mallory laughed before taking Landon's hand and dragging him away. "See ya later," she said leaving.

"They make such a cute couple. I wonder if they've kissed yet," Brooke added.

Nathan groaned, "Brooke…"

"I was just saying… I mean she is your child! I bet they've made out several times already," Brooke commented.

Haley just shook her head before saying, "Alright you two. Brooke behave yourself; Nate remember what I said. Landon seems like a really nice kid and I imagine we'll be seeing more of him now. With that said, I'm going to go put Lucy down for a nap."

"Dad, can you, Matt, Uncle Luke, and I play another game of basketball now?" Jamie asked excitedly.

"Sure son," he responded, "let's see if we can beat Uncle Luke again just the two of us?"

Luke laughed, "You only won because of Mal and Jamie last game. You're on little brother!"


	11. Opening Up is Hard

A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoy and please review! This is one of my longer chapters and I worked really hard on it! Thanks again to naley12, Ace5492, and hebewe for your comments!

* * *

Mallory had been quiet on the walk to the River Court. Landon finally stopped once they got to the black top and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Mallory finally looked him in the eye before saying, "I was just thinking about my mom. Tomorrow would have been her birthday and I always go visit her…"

Landon was confused and replied, "I thought Haley was your mom."

"Why don't we sit down because I started this conversation all wrong?" she paused long enough for them to sit on the bench beside the court, "Landon, there are a lot of things we don't know about each other. For instance, Haley is my mom but not biologically. My biological mother, Peyton, died when I was two from cancer. My dad and I lived by ourselves until I started kindergarten, which is where we met Haley. She was my teacher and soon became the only mom I ever knew. She eventually married my dad and gave me my two younger siblings. Anyways, every year my dad and I always visit Peyton's grave on her birthday. Usually, I go with mom and dad, but I was wondering if you would like to go with me this time."

Landon stood up and started pacing before stating, "I'm sorry I can't."

"Is this because of your mom? Landon…" she started.

"How do you know about my mom?" he said defensively, "Have you been talking about me behind my back? What do you know? You know, forget it. I don't want to talk about this anymore! I need to go home, I'll see you later!" With that said, he ran off.

Mallory just sat there as tears started forming. She was unsure of whether or not she should run after him. She didn't realize he would get this upset about it. She thought that by talking about Peyton first, it would help things. She knew this was hard for him, but he needed to talk about it. She decided to walk back to Uncle Luke's and she would call Jeff later.

* * *

Landon got home and slammed the door. He walked past the living room where Jeff was watching TV. "You're home early…" he started.

Landon paused for a second and huffed, "Leave me alone," before continuing up to his room.

Jeff followed him and walked into his room. "What happened to you? Why are you in such a bad mood? Did something happen between you and Mallory?" he wondered.

"She asked about mom," he finally whispered.

Jeff sighed, "Start from the beginning because you're not making any sense. What did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her anything, but she somehow knew she was dead. She was telling me about how her real mom died when she was two and how she visited her grave every year on her birthday. She asked me to go with her and I told her I couldn't. She then asked if it was because of my own mom and I got defensive. I yelled at her before running off," he finished.

Jeff replied, "This is all my fault. She saw me leaving the cemetery the other day. I told her why I was there, which led to me talking about mom's death. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me. I asked her to help me get you to open up about it. So I think you owe her an apology because she was only trying to help."

"Why did you tell her?" he asked, "I never talk about her and you know that."

"That's the point! You never talk about it. You've blamed yourself for years and that's not healthy. It wasn't your fault and one day you'll finally see that," Jeff stated before walking out of his room.

* * *

Landon walked to the Scott residence before knocking on the door. A few minutes later Nathan answered the door. "Oh it's you, I'll go get Mal," he began but Landon stopped him.

"Actually Coach, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something first," Landon said hesitantly.

Nathan shut the door and sat down on the porch. "What is it son?" he wondered.

"How long did it take you to overcome your first wife's death? I'm sorry that came out wrong. My mom died when I was thirteen from a drug overdose. I was the one who found her. I haven't talked about it to anyone since then because I thought it was my fault that it happened. Today Mallory told me about Peyton and how she visits her grave every year. She asked about my mom and I couldn't take it. I got defensive and yelled at her. I know I was wrong by yelling and I didn't mean it," Landon responded, "I just didn't know how to talk about it with her."

Nathan was surprised by this bit of news because he had never seen the boy so serious. He understood why he got defensive though because he had been the same way when people wanted him to talk about Peyton right after her death. "Son, I get where you're coming from because I've been there, but now I realize that it helps to talk about it. Haley was the first person I truly opened up to after Peyton's death and look at me now. Peyton will always be a part of my life, but I had to move past that void in my heart. After all, I see Peyton every time I look at Mal and I know that Peyton's smiling down on us. What I'm trying to say, is that you should let Mal in and you'll feel a lot better. I'm glad you felt comfortable talking to me though about all this. Why don't we go inside and let you talk to Mal? She's up in her room, so go on up," he finished.

"Thanks Coach, I won't be long I promise," Landon replied.

Nathan said, "Don't worry about it. Why don't you stay for dinner? Hales always cooks plenty and we would love to have you. I'll go tell her to fix another spot and we'll see you in a little while."

* * *

Landon walked upstairs and walked towards Mallory's room. Her door was cracked and so he knocked before pushing it open. She was sitting on her bed reading a book. "Landon, what are you doing here?" she asked closing her book.

"First off, I came to apologize for yelling at you. Second, I want to tell you about more about my family. I know Jeff told you some stuff, but I want you to hear it from me," he answered.

"Landon, I'm sorry for pushing you earlier…" she started.

Landon went and sat down on the edge of her bed. He grabbed her hand before saying, "No, you were just trying to help. Mal, I don't know how much Jeff told you, but this is the first time I've talked about my mom since I found her in her bedroom. I have always blamed myself for her death because I acted up a lot back then. How messed up is that? I mean a part of me understands that it wasn't really my fault, but it's hard for me to let that sink in sometimes. It's never been easy for me to open up about my life because it's so screwed up, but I willing to try for you."

She smiled before replying, "I appreciate that. I need you to know that I am always here for you no matter what. I get that your dad is not the greatest man and that you lost your mom when you were young, but that doesn't make you screwed up. No family is perfect, but you have a brother who still cares about you. I care about you too and neither one of us likes seeing you hurt over this. It wasn't your fault! Your mom was sick and there was nothing anyone could do for her. From now on though, if you ever need someone to confide in, I'm here."

"I was hoping you would say that. I also think I would like to go with you to see Peyton tomorrow if you still want me to. Maybe while we're there we could go see my mom's grave too," he said quietly.

"Whenever you're ready I'll go with you. It doesn't have to be tomorrow though if you're not ready. I completely understand either way. Thank you for coming back though because I've been worried about you," she said leaning over to kiss him gently.

He smirked, "I had to get my daily kiss from you. However, we should probably head downstairs because I promised your dad I wouldn't be up here long. He invited me to dinner though, so maybe I can get another kiss good night on my way out."

"I knew you couldn't resist me," she joked.

"I don't know many guys who can. Unfortunately for them, you picked me," he stated.

She laughed before adding, "Yea well don't let it go to your head. Your ego is already big enough!" She then got up and rushed downstairs continuing to laugh. He followed her with a smile on his face. He felt relief for the first time in years and it was all due to his amazing girlfriend, he thought.


	12. Dealing with the Tough Stuff

A/N: So here's another chapter... I hope you guys enjoy! Please review!

* * *

Mallory held Landon's hand as they made their way through the cemetery. Nathan had already come and went earlier that morning and brought the usual bouquet of flowers. As they got closer, Landon's hand started to shake and his nerves skyrocketed. "It's ok," Mal said soothingly. Landon smiled before continuing to follow her lead.

They finally made their way in front of Peyton's grave. Mallory leaned down and rubbed her hand across the headstone. Landon stood back a little ways to give her some privacy. "Hey Mom, I see Dad already brought your daisies. A lot has happened since last year. School is still the same, and I'm still helping Grandma out at the café. I've also been able to go to basketball practice with the team, but dad still says I can't play in the games, which I find unfair because I'm better than most of them," she laughed before adding, "I guess that brings me to the boy I met, Landon Smith. We're actually dating right now and dad is finally coming around. At first, he wasn't too happy, but Haley helped calm him down. I wish you were here to meet him though. Anyways, I love you Mom." She finished and stood back up.

Landon just looked at her a moment before finally saying, "I'm sure she would be proud of you you've become. I mean after all you're amazing in every way."

She blushed before responding, "Thank you. She would've loved you, especially knowing how much you mean to me. Do you want to go see your mom now? Or we could go to the River Court. Like I said, I don't want to push."

"Let's go before I change my mind. I think it's about time I begin to move on," he answered. She took his hand and he began walking towards the one spot that he's avoided since her funeral.

* * *

Landon stood in front of his mother's headstone for several minutes. He had been confident up until this moment, but a squeeze on his hand brought him back to now. He turned towards the girl standing next to him and smiled before facing the headstone once more. He placed his hand on the top of it before saying, "I'm finally here Mom. I'm sorry that it took me so long. For the longest time, I hated myself and dad for everything that we put you through. I'm sorry dad treated you so bad and I wish I would have been a better son for you," he continued as tears started rolling down his cheeks, "I know it wasn't my fault for your death, but I still could have not acted up and caused you more stress. I really wish you were still here with me and Jeff because we need you, I need you. I just wanted to say all of that so I can start trying to get my life back in order. I wanted to also tell you that I met an amazing girl who has changed me in just a short period of time for the better. Mal is incredible and I know you would have loved her because she's my world. I miss you Mom and I'll never forget you!"

As he finished, Mallory couldn't help the tears that slipped from her eyes. "That was a beautiful speech," she commented, "Thank you for letting me be a part of it."

"Thank you for helping me do this. Mal, I know this might sound crazy, especially since we're standing in the middle of a cemetery, but I wasn't lying when I said you've changed me. I haven't always been the greatest guy, but you overlooked that and dug deeper into my heart. I've never had anyone care for me like you have. I've also never been one to share anything personal with until you came along. I'm probably not making much sense right now because I've never been good with words, but I think I'm falling in love with you," he stated.

Mallory stood there speechless. After a couple of minutes, she finally whispered, "I love you too." He pulled her into his arms before kissing her fervently.

"I love you Mallory Scott," he exclaimed as he twirled her around, "and I don't care who knows it!"

She laughed before saying, "I'll remind you of that once my dad finds out. Why don't we head to the River Court for a game of one on one?"

"You're on, baby," he joked, "and for the record I'm not worried about Coach."

* * *

Later that afternoon after dropping Mallory off at her house, Landon headed home. He had just walked inside when he heard a noise from the kitchen. He assumed it was Jeff, so he headed in that direction. Unfortunately, it was the one person he wished he never had to see again. "What are you doing here Dad?" he yelled.

David Smith had been a deadbeat dad for most of the boys' lives and today wasn't any different. Anyone could tell that he was drunk already and appeared to be looking for more. "Is that any way to talk to your father," he sneered.

"I'll ask again, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in rehab!" Landon replied.

"Rehab is for losers. Now find me a drink before I knock you out. I don't need any of your shit. Besides, don't act like you're better than me because you're just like me!" he laughed.

Landon ran towards him and threw a punch. "I'm nothing like you!" Landon yelled rearing back for another punch.

David ducked just in time. He then grabbed his son by the neck and smashed his head into the wall. He continued throwing Landon against the wall, while cutting off what little circulation he had left. Landon was finding it very hard to breathe as his father continued yelling at him over and over again. The last thing Landon saw was another presence running towards them before everything went black.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I had to keep you interested! I'll update soon an let you know what happens...


	13. What Happened to Him?

A/N: Here's another chapter! I'm sorry it took me awhile to post... please review!

* * *

Nathan was in the backyard playing basketball with Luke, Jamie, and Mallory. He had just made a three pointer when he saw Haley running out of the house with a look of fear on her face. "Nate, you and Luke need to go to the hospital. There has been accident involving Landon. Mal, you should probably go with them. His brother just called," Haley stated.

"What kind of accident?" Mallory said trying not to cry, "Is he ok?"

Haley went over to her and pulled her into her arms. "I don't know many details except that he's in a coma. His father…" Haley couldn't finish.

Nathan looked at his wife and daughter with sad eyes. The look on Haley's face he had only seen one other time and that was when she talked about her own father. Nathan had a feeling that there was more to this accident. "Mal, why don't Luke and I go find out what we can and I'll come get you later. Landon may be in pretty bad shape right now, and you may not wanna see him like that," Nathan coaxed.

"Dad, I wanna go. I need to see if he's ok," Mallory said pulling out of Haley's arms.

"Alright, then let's go," he replied looking over towards Luke before glancing back at Haley, "I'll let you know what's going on in a little while."

Haley nodded as she took Jamie inside. Luke, Nathan, and Mallory hopped in Nathan's black SUV and headed to the hospital. _Please let him be ok_, Nathan thought, _especially for Mal's sake_.

* * *

They arrived at the hospital and Nathan walked up to the nurse's station. "I'm looking for a patient that came in earlier. His name is Landon Smith. Could you tell me where I can find him?" Nathan questioned.

"Are you family, sir? It looks like he's in ICU, and only family can see him right now," the nurse answered.

"I'm his coach, and his brother just called for me to come here," Nathan replied.

The nurse said, "Well you can wait in the waiting room, and I'll send a nurse to tell his brother you are here. It should only be a few minutes."

Nathan nodded and headed to the waiting room. They had just taken a seat when Jeff came through the door. "Jeff, how is he?" Mallory asked as soon as she saw him.

"He's in a coma right now. That's all I really know right now Mallory, sorry. Do you mind if I speak with you privately for a moment Coach Scott?" Jeff replied.

Nathan walked out in the hallway with Jeff right behind him. "What's wrong? I know you were trying to protect her, so you can tell me what is really going on. Also, you can call me Nathan," he said once they were out of the room.

"Our dad broke out of rehab last night. He went to our house and started searching for alcohol. I had gotten rid of every bit of alcohol in the house, so he couldn't find any. He got really mad, and Landon unfortunately came home. I wasn't home at the time, and I received a call that he had left rehab. I rushed home knowing he would head there. What I found when I got there though…" he started.

"Jeff, this isn't your fault. Your father is an alcoholic. What happened?" Nathan asked.

Jeff was quiet for a second before continuing, "When I got home, Landon was lying on the ground unconscious. He had blood all over his face and his arm was at a weird angle. I rushed over to him, but he wouldn't wake up. I then saw my dad leaning against the wall and ran over to him. I pinned him against the wall before calling 911. I told my father that he better hope that Landon was ok. The ambulance came and carried Landon to the hospital, while the police arrested my dad. I had to fill out a report and then came here. The doctors say that he suffered a blow to the head, his left arm is broken, and he has bruises all down his left side. They are unsure how long he's going to be in a coma. I need him to be ok!"

Nathan was afraid that this is where the story was headed. He knew he needed to comfort Jeff right now, but he was also worried about his daughter. He knew Mallory loved this boy, and he was going to do whatever he could to help. "Jeff, I understand this is hard, but you're not alone in this. We need to just stay calm and wait to see what happens. I don't really think Mal should see him right now, especially like this. Could you stay out here with her for a few minutes while I go see him?" he said putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Yea, I agree. He looks pretty bad right now. I'll stay here with her," Jeff responded.

Nathan watched him walk back into the waiting room and sat down beside Mallory. Luke was on the other side of her, but she looked so broken. He hated seeing her like this and prayed that Landon would pull through this. Nathan walked towards the ICU and headed straight to the room where Landon was. Landon was lying in the bed with bandages all over his body. He looked really weak as Nathan walked closer to the bed. "Landon, there are a lot of people waiting for you to wake up, especially Mal. I don't think I can see my baby girl cry another tear. She loves you, and I can't think of a better guy for her to be with. I can see how much you love her and care for her. Your brother also needs you right now. He's hurting because he feels responsible for this. So please wake up. Besides, I can't give you a hard time about dating my daughter, if you're not awake," Nathan added. He patted Landon's shoulder before walking out. Now all they could do was wait.


	14. Wake Up Landon!

A/N: Here's another chapter that I hope you enjoy! Please review and let me know what you think...

* * *

It had been almost a week, and Landon had yet to wake up from the coma. Jeff had not left his side, except when Nathan or Lucas would come sit with him for a few hours. Mallory had begged to see him, and Nathan finally agreed. He had just arrived at the hospital. Mallory headed in the direction of his room that they had moved him to and lightly knocked on the door before walking in. She gasped at the sight before her. Even though her dad had tried to prepare her, she was still saddened at seeing Landon lying in the bed with IVs and bandages everywhere.

"Hey Mal," Jeff said standing up and giving her a hug, "I'll give you some time alone with him. I'll be right outside with your dad."

Mallory simply nodded before walking over to the bed and pulling the chair closer to the bed. "Hey sexy, I need you to open those pretty eyes that put a smile on my face every time I see you. I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to come visit, but my dad was trying to spare me the pain of seeing you like this. I've been so worried about you, and I'm really scared that I won't get to see you smile again. So please open your eyes," she begged as tears ran down her cheeks. She sat down in the chair and laid her head on one of his hands.

She had been sitting there for several minutes with no movement. Then all of a sudden she felt one of his fingers twitch under her head and then another. She lifted her head to see him opening his eyes. Mal," he croaked.

She smiled and kissed him on the lips before rushing to the door and yelling out the door, "He's awake!"

The doctor and a couple of nurses rushed in, followed by Nathan and Jeff. They were all shocked to see Landon with his eyes open looking at everyone confused. "Where am I?" Landon finally asked.

"Son, you're at the hospital. Do you remember anything about how you got here?" the doctor wondered.

Landon sat there for a second before recalling his date with Mal and coming home to find his father at his house. "Where's dad? That's why I'm here isn't it?" he stated looking over at Jeff.

"He's in prison," Jeff replied.

Nathan knew that Jeff needed some time with his brother, so after the doctor confirmed that everything looked ok, he told Mallory that they should give the brothers some time to talk. She finally agreed and kissed Landon again before walking out with her dad.

Jeff sat down in the chair next to the bed without saying a word. He knew Landon had questions, but he was unsure where to start. Finally, his brother beat him to it, by asking, "Can you tell me what happened? Did dad really do this?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He broke out of rehab and came to the house looking for alcohol. When he couldn't find any, he took it out on you," Jeff started.

Landon nodded before saying, "Then he beat the crap out of me before you walked in."

"Yea, I'm so sorry," Jeff replied, "this shouldn't have happened, especially not to you. The doctor says that you suffered a mild concussion and some major bruising. Landon, your left arm is also broken…"

"Which means no basketball for the rest of the season," Landon added before Jeff nodded his head in confirmation, "Man that sucks, but this isn't your fault ya know. Our dads a douche bag, plain and simple!"

Jeff answered, "I'm just glad I got to you in time before he did any more damage."

"Do you mind going and getting Mal for me though? I really wanna see her," Landon groaned. Jeff smiled and left the room to get Mallory.

* * *

Mallory walked into his room with a smile on her face, but she couldn't help the few tears that started falling down her face as she walked over to Landon's bed. "Baby, why are you crying? Come here and lay next to me," Landon said patting the spot next to him.

"They are happy tears. I'm just glad to see that you're awake. I've been worried sick, along with Jeff, my dad, and Uncle Luke," she replied.

Landon smiled before placing a kiss on her forehead. "You know I couldn't leave my wonderful girlfriend. You can't get rid of me that easily. Besides, who else would you play one on one with," he joked.

Mallory looked up at him with a look of sorrow before whispering, "I'm guessing you are out for the season due to your arm."

"Yep, but who knows maybe I can talk your dad into you being my replacement," he said with a grin.

"Very funny," Mal responded before adding, "You better watch it, or I may break your other arm with comments like that."

Landon laughed as he pulled her in for a hug. "Baby, you know I'm just messing with you. Besides, we both know you could beat any one of the guys in a game of one on one," he admitted.

"Yea and don't you forget it," Mallory exclaimed before cuddling up next to him.

The two stay cuddled in each others' arms before both falling asleep. Nathan and Jeff walked in about thirty minutes later and smiled. "I must say your daughter brings out the best in him," Jeff commented.

"You're doing a good job with him as well. He's lucky to have a brother like you," Nathan added before walking over to Mallory and saying, "Mal, it's time to go home. Visiting hours are about to end, so we have to go. Besides, Landon needs some rest."

Landon opened his eyes and smirked at Nathan. "Coach, you know I would probably sleep better with her next to me," he joked.

"Fat chance," Nathan said, "but nice try. Now say goodnight quickly and preferably without all that kissing mess."

Landon laughed as he hugged Mallory bye and placing a small kiss on her forehead. "See ya later baby. Sweet dreams," he whispered in her ear before he pulled away. Mallory smiled and waved goodbye promising to see him as soon as she could.


	15. Welcome Back

**A/N:** Sorry it has been so long since I posted a chapter for this story... I hope you guys haven't given up on the story. Please review!

* * *

It had been a week since Landon got out of the hospital, but today was his first day back at school. Mallory and Trent had been stopping by his house and bringing him work that he had missed, so he wouldn't be behind. Jeff had taken a few weeks off to be home with him as well. Today Landon walked into the school in a sling as he made his way to his locker. Trent was waiting for him with a smile, "Well it's about time you showed up. I've been waiting here for a whole two minutes."

"Shut up man. It takes me longer to get ready with this stupid cast. Where's Mal? She said she would meet me here," Landon said looking around.

"Nice to see you too buddy. She said that she would see you later but had an early tutor session that she couldn't miss," Trent started, "How are ya feeling?"

Landon groaned, "Miserable. I still can't believe that I'm out for the rest of the season. Coach wants me to still come to practice though."

"I know it sucks man, but at least Mal will be there to keep you company. We need to be heading to class though before Coach gets on our case for being late to class. I don't know about you, but I don't want to run extra suicides if I can help it," Trent added. Landon just laughed and followed him to their first class.

By the time lunch rolled around, Landon couldn't wait to see Mallory. He had missed her because she had been busy with a new student who needed tutoring. He walked in the cafeteria and saw her sitting with Trent, Chloe, and Emily. Trent and Chloe were now officially dating. He smiled when she looked up at him. "Hey sexy, I'm sorry I missed you this morning. I'm sure Trent was ok company," Mal said with smile.

He leaned down to kiss her before sitting down beside her and replying, "It's alright, although I must admit I would have rather seen your beautiful face than his."

"My face is beautiful? Thanks man," Trent joked. Landon just rolled his eyes at him.

Chloe laughed, "Beautiful isn't the term I would use. I would say smoking hot. So is your body."

"Too much information! You guys make me nauseous. I'm actually trying to eat my lunch here," Emily stated.

"Sorry Em, you know there is no filter with her. However, I think we need to find you a man. After all, there are definitely advantages to having someone special. Landon and Trent, have any other single friends that she could meet?" Mal asked.

"Oh no, I'm not dating any of those arrogant basketball players. No offense guys, but I've seen the other guys on the team, and they are not for me. Besides, I don't need a guy right now. I'm happy with the way things are," Emily answered.

Chloe grinned, "Whatever. You guys love me. So what are we doing this weekend since the basketball games don't start for another week?"

"Actually, mom wanted to know if you guys wanted to come over for dinner Friday night. Trent, you are welcome to come because Brooke has already heard all about you and would like to meet you," Mal smirked, "Dad also wanted to know if Jeff would still be in town."

"Yea, I'll let him know. He has to go back next week. I love my brother, but I'll be glad when he leaves. He's been driving me crazy all week since I've been out of the hospital," Landon replied.

Trent coughed, "Not to freak out, but should I be worried about Brooke wanting to meet me?"

Everyone laughed before Chloe spoke up, "She's harmless unless you get on her bad side, then you should be scared."

"Don't listen to her. Brooke will only ask you if you're sleeping with her favorite employee. She is what some would call very blunt in her questioning process. She didn't' scare Landon away though, so you should be fine," Em finished.

"Why would she ask if I'm sleeping with Chloe?" Trent wondered.

Landon laughed, "Why does Brooke ask anything she asks? Because she's Brooke, and she looks at Chloe and Emily as if they were part of the family, so anything goes. Sorry man, but that's what happens when you choose to hook up with any of these three. I'll admit Brooke scared the shit out of me when I first met her, so now it's your turn."

Trent rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the sentiments," he groaned. Chloe leaned over and kissed the frown off his face. They chatted about the rest of the weekend throughout the rest of lunch.

* * *

Landon walked into the gym to find Nathan and Mallory playing a short game of one on one. Nathan finished the game with a three-pointer when he noticed him. "Hey Landon, how's the arm?" he asked.

"It's still sore, but I'll be glad when I can get the cast off. The doctor says about four more weeks before I'll be able to just wear the sling," Landon replied.

Nathan nodded, "I know its tough being here and not being able to play, but I thought it would give the guys some moral support to know their captain is still backing them up."

"Yea, I was thinking I could help some of the guys with Mal that are still struggling," he paused, "I would ask who won the game, but given the frown on her face, I would guess you."

Mallory huffed, "He only won because he went up for a layup at the last second."

"She's just mad because her old man can still beat her," Nathan laughed as he messed up her ponytail, "maybe you could put a smile back on her face while I head to the office for a second. But Landon, the no kissing my daughter in my presence still applies."

"Sure thing Coach," he said.

"Good to have you back son," Nathan added as he walked away.

Mallory grinned as soon as Nathan closed the locker room door. "I do believe we have a couple of minutes before the guys get here for practice. How about making out with your beautiful girlfriend?"

He smirked, "Your wish is my command." He pulled her into his arms and leaned down to kiss her. He always knew the boundaries with her, but he just couldn't resist kissing her.

They had been kissing for a few minutes when someone cleared their throat behind them, "I must admit seeing you kiss my niece isn't really a sight I care to see, so how about you break this little session of yours up and head to the locker room. Meanwhile Mal, I would probably go get some water. Your cheeks are a little flush."

Mallory froze at the sound of his voice and dug her face into Landon's chest. "Sorry Coach, can we possibly keep this away from Nathan by any chance?" Landon asked.

Luke laughed, "Sure, but I can't promise my wife won't hear about it."

"Uncle Luke…" Mallory whined, He just continued to laugh as he walked towards the locker room. Landon kissed her forehead before following him.


End file.
